Where does Louis rank among the nation's most popular baby names?

PA
Updated

Louis is currently the 71st most popular name for a baby boy in England and Wales - a long way behind George, which is in third place.

Some 911 boys were named Louis in 2016, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

By contrast 5,263 were named George while 3,819 were named William.

The name Louis has fallen out of favour in recent years.

Back in 2004 it ranked 38th in popularity and was given to 1,976 babies.

(PA Graphics)
(PA Graphics)

Since then it has slipped down the chart - though it could rebound now that it has a royal connection.

George was ranked 10th in popularity in 2013, the year Prince George was born.

The following year it climbed to seventh place, then fourth, and is currently in third position.

Charlotte jumped from 25th place in 2015 - the year Princess Charlotte was born - to 12th in 2016.

Further back in history, Louis appeared in the top 100 baby names in both 1904 and 1914, in 78th and 79th place respectively.

This was probably thanks to the contemporary popularity of Admiral Louis Mountbatten, who served as First Sea Lord (the professional head of the Royal Navy) between 1912 and 1914.

Mountbatten had links with the royal family - he had married a granddaughter of Queen Victoria in 1884 - and his son, also called Louis Mountbatten, was an uncle of Prince Philip.

By 1924 the name Louis had fallen out of the top 100, reappearing again only by 1994.

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